1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to purses or pouches for carrying small articles or money, and specifically relates to a pouch configured to slidably conceal a key therewithin.
2. Statement of the Related Art
Purses or pouches have been developed over the centuries in response to the need to conveniently carry money or small articles on or about a person's body. In earlier centuries, such purses or pouches tended to be in the nature of drawstring bags which could be tied to another article of clothing, such as a belt. In later centuries, wallets were developed to be carried in a pocket, such as a trouser pocket, or in a woman's handbag. Wallets are functional for their intended purpose, but tend to be configured only for the carrying of money, credit cards, pictures or other flat, two-dimensional objects. Wallets have also been used to carry a single spare key to, for example, a house or a car, but access to the key is slow and burdensome. For the most part, people tend to carry a separate ring of keys or a key-carrier structured with metal clips or rings and foldable flaps which enclose the keys therewithin. Additionally, key rings have been designed with a small, closable pouch for carrying coinage for emergency phone calls, but the key ring is still bulky and the emphasis of the device.
The later decades of the twentieth century have heralded a new age of, and attitude toward, fashion objectives. In these latter days, there has been a trend toward minimalist and casual clothing which is more comfortable and functional. Clothing accessories have followed suit and have been designed to meet the needs of busy and active people on the go who don't want to be burdened with an abundance of clothing accessories such as bulky wallets, key chains or purses. Therefore, the trend has been toward simplified and functional devices for carrying only the essential items of travel and commerce- money, spare change, credit cards and keys. The objective has also been to provide a one-accessory-accomplishes-all device which is small, unobtrusive and not bulky.
Thus, it would be beneficial in the art to provide a purse or pouch sized to retain small articles or money, which is conveniently carried in a pocket or a woman's handbag, as well as directly on or in an item of clothing, and which is configured to retain in a concealed fashion one or more keys.